"as if the world weren't full enough of history without inventing more." ~ granny weatherwax, wyrd sisters.

~oOo~

librarianship links

What follows is a list of "avenues for further exploration" that I initially put together as a handout for a presentation on my journey to becoming a librarian-archivist that I did in March 2012 at Hope College, my alma mater. Since the handout was essentially a links list, I thought I'd make it available here at the feminist librarian for the attendees (and other interested souls) to access digitally.

The point of this list was to give undergraduates in the humanities some places online where they could get a feel for the range of careers possible in libraries and archives, and a better sense of what we librarians spend our days doing and thinking about. It's by no means an exhaustive list, and I relied heavily on my network of friends and colleagues for suggestions.

On that note, a big "thank you!" to all my library and archives peeps who sent in recommendations for what to include on this list. You made this page much more topically diverse than it would have been without you.

American Library Association (ALA). The professional association for the field and an umbrella organization for lots of divisions with particular specialties (e.g. school librarianship, academic librarianship).

Regional/state-level professional associations, such as the Michigan Library Association. These organizations will have more local opportunities for exploring the profession, and are likely to have local job postings, etc., to peruse.

LibraryJournal. This for-profit publication for the library community includes articles, reports, opinion pieces, and lots and lots reviews of forthcoming print and media resources.

Society of American Archivists (SAA). The professional association for folks specifically working in archives and special collections -- though often there is overlap.

The SAA's professional journal, TheAmerican Archivist is available online for searching and browsing, if you want to get a feel for the professional literature. I also highly recommend Archivaria, published by the Association of Canadian Archivists; check your library for a print or electronic subscription.

You Ought to be Ashamed. Group blog in which poor job advertisements in the LIS/archives field are mocked. Interesting discussions around what it means to be a professional in the field, and what employers and employees can (and should) expect from one another.

Library and Archives Blogs (Institutions):

Blogs maintained by institutions can give you a sense of the collections, programming, and research being done in a place.

LISNews. Aggregator of news stories, blog posts, action alerts, and more related to the world of libraries and librarianship.

Lower East Side Librarian. Jenna Freedman writes about "zines and alternative press publications in libraries, cataloging, library activism, open source technology applications and culture, and lolcats."

PhiloBiblos. "Reviews of books old and new; news and commentary on book history, library culture, archives and related subjects. Written by Jeremy Dibbell, a bibliophile, haunter of used bookstores, and LibraryThing employee."

Sara Mooney. Sara has a background in library science and currently does information architecture for Zappos.com. She's interested in how "media, metadata, and taxonomy affect knowledge management and corporate/public/academic libraries."

Somebody's Autobiography. Kate is a college reference librarian (gender studies subject specialist) by day and a zine librarian by night.

Stephen's Lighthouse. "Tips and techniques for strategic thinking and innovation in libraries" by Stephen Abrams.

You have to find a way to inhabit your body while enacting your deepest desires. You have to be brave enough to build the intimacy you deserve. You have to take off all of your clothes and say, I’m right here.

"Because the point is logically moot, as I'm never having it off with anyone else ever again. I'm not straight, I'm not gay, I'm with you. How do I get it through that skull of yours? I'm...John-sexual. Oh, bloody hell, you're mine, you said I could have you, you did. You promised."

"Never will I take for granted in this world your generosity of exploration, how you have listened to my body and found what you could do." ~ Joan Nestle, "Our Gift of Touch," in A Fragile Union (144).